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Home My WebLink About8.4 PCSR ZOA Sign RegulationsG~~~ OF DU~~~ /// ~ ~1~ 1~~~~~ 04LIFOR~I~ DATE: TO: March 27, 2012 Planning Commission SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING: PLPA-2011-00026 Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations) Prepared By: Marnie R. Delgado, Senior Planner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In August 2011, Staff presented City-initiated amendments to the Dublin Zoning Ordinance, including Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations), to the Planning Commission. In October 2011, the City Council reviewed the proposed amendments and directed Staff to obtain input from the community on the proposed changes to the Sign Regulations Chapter. A Town Hall Meeting was held on February 9, 2012 and Staff obtained input from the community. Staff presented the feedback received from the community at the March 6, 2012 City Council meeting. The City Council directed Staff to modify the proposed amendments to change the amount of time that Temporary Promotional Signs are allowed to be displayed. The Planning Commission will review the proposed modification and make a recommendation to the City Council. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: 1) Receive Staff presentation; 2) Open the public hearing; 3) Take testimony from the public; 4) Close the public hearing and deliberate; and 5) Adopt a Resolution recommending that the City Council amend Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations) of the Zoning Ordinance to change the amount of time that Temporary Promotional Signs are allowed to be displayed. ~~~~ Submitted By Senior Planner L vi wed By Planning Manager COPIES TO: Applicant File ITEM NO.: • Page 1 of 4 G:IPA#120111PLPA-2011-00026 Zoning Ordinance Amendments, Update 11PC 03.27.121PCSR 03.27.12.doc STAFF REPORT PLANNING COMMISSION DESCRIPTION: Background Periodically, the City initiates amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to clarify, add or amend certain provisions to ensure that the Zoning Ordinance remains internally consistent and relevant to changes occurring in the community. At the August 23, 2011 Planning Commission meeting, Staff presented proposed amendments to various Chapters of the Zoning Ordinance including, Chapter 8.40 (Accessory Structures and Uses Regulations), Chapter 8.76 (Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations), Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations), and Chapter 8.108 (Temporary Use Permit) and the Planning Commission adopted a Resolution recommending City Council adoption of the proposed amendments. At the October 4, 2011 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted the proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments with the exception of amendments to Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations). The City Council directed Staff to hold a Town Hall Meeting to obtain input from interested members of the community regarding the proposed amendments. At the December 20, 2011 City Council meeting, the City Council appointed Councilmembers Kasie Hildenbrand and Don Biddle to participate in the Town Hall Meeting. On February 9, 2011, a Town Hall Meeting was held at 6:30pm in the Regional Meeting Room. Five members of the public attended in addition to the two appointed Councilmembers and Staff. Staff presented the proposed amendments to the Sign Regulations and solicited feedback. At the March 6, 2012 City Council meeting, Staff presented the feedback received from the Town Hall Meeting (Attachment 1) and were directed to modify the amount of time that Temporary Promotional Signs are allowed to be displayed (Attachment 2). The City Council also directed Staff to return with a separate report on options to control the quality of temporary promotional signs. Staff is in the process of preparing that report. Pursuant to Government Code section 65857, the Planning Commission is being asked to review the proposed modification to the amendments previously reviewed by the Planning Commission on August 23, 2011 and to provide a recommendation to the City Council regarding the modification. ANALYSIS: Over the past five years, Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations) has been amended three times; all of the amendments were related to temporary promotional banners. In 2009, the City Council adopted a temporary modification to the Temporary Promotional Banner regulations to increase the number of days that banners were allowed to be displayed (from 15 days to 21 days} and to reduce the waiting period between banner displays (from 30 days to 21 days). This temporary modification was in effect for a one year period. In 2010, the City Council extended the temporary modification for another year and directed Staff to make the temporary modifications permanent. At the end of 2010, the City Council adopted an Ordinance making the temporary modifications permanent. At the February 9, 2012 Town Hall Meeting, a concern was raised about the amount of time that temporary promotional signs are allowed to be displayed noting that under the current regulations a banner could be displayed for up to 6 months a year and called into question whether it's an actual promotion being advertised. At the March 6, 2012 City Council meeting, Staff was directed to amend the display time for Temporary Promotional Signs to 3 weeks of display time with a 6 week waiting period between permits. This reduces the potential amount 2 of 4 of display time per year from 6 months to 4 months. The proposed modification would read as follows, with proposed modification in bold italics (the underlined text represents proposed amendments that the Planning Commission previously recommended that the City Council adopt): S. Temporary Promotional Signs. U~ to two (2) Temporary Promotional Signs are permitted pursuant to a Zoning Clearance and may be placed on site for a maximum of twenty-one (21) consecutive calendar days per permit when used for special promotional events or needs. A minimum waiting period of forty-two (42) consecutive calendar days between permits is required, with the exception of balloons as defined herein and temporary banners for apartment communities. A Banner Sign shall not be larger than 60 square feet in size and the sign shall not be located so that the sign is taller than the eave of the structure in which the business is located. One (1) temporary promotional sign may be displayed on a tenant's building frontage and one (1) temporary promotional sign may be displayed on the street frontage. If there is more than one street frontage, one (1) temporary promotional sign may be displayed on each street frontage (in lieu of the building frontage), up to two street frontages, if the signs are at least 200-feet apart. A corresponding amendment would also be made to Matrix B as follows, with the proposed modification in bold italics (the underlined text represents proposed amendments that the Planning Commission previously recommended that the City Council adopt): Sign Type Maximum Maximum Maximum Location Copy Additional Section Number of Height Area per Requirements Restrictions Regulations No. Signs Side in Sq. Ft. Temporary ~°rrtirz~mrg Per ~~°'r~rcvi:r'rg Only on site on Per Zoning Maximum of Promotional ~:~~ara~se: Zoning ~:leara~e: which Clearance. 21 consecutive Section Two 2 , Clearance. Banner business is calendar days 8.84.050.T One (1) on signs shall located and per permit; 42 a tenant not be shall not be consecutive larger than located so that calendar days building 60 square the sign is waiting period frontage feet. higher than between and one (1) the eave of the permits. on the structure in street which the frontage or business is two 2 on located. street frontages if more than one street frontage and signs are at least 200-feet apart. 3of4 CONSISTENCY WITH THE GENERAL PLAN, SPECIFIC PLAN AND ZONING ORDINANCE: The proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment is consistent with the Dublin General Plan and all applicable Specific Plans in that the General Plan and applicable Specific Plans include policies which support the development of commercial uses and the proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment facilitates commercial development by bringing greater clarity and consistency to existing regulations related to signage. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: A Public Notice was published in the Valley Times and posted at several locations throughout the City. The Public Notice was also provided to all known Dublin-based sign companies, automobile/vehicle sales dealerships, Town Hall Meeting participants, and all parties who have expressed interest in this topic or requested such notice. The Staff Report for this public hearing was also made available on the City's website. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), together with State Guidelines and City Environmental Regulations require that certain projects be reviewed for environmental impacts and that environmental documents be prepared. Pursuant to the CEQA, Staff is recommending that the proposed Ordinance be found exempt from CEQA per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). Section 15061(b)(3) states that CEQA applies only to those projects that have the potential to cause a significant effect on the environment. The adoption of the proposed Ordinance is exempt from CEQA because the Ordinance does not, in itself, allow the construction of any building or structure, but it sets forth the regulations that shall be followed if and when a building or structure is proposed to be constructed or a site is proposed to be developed. This Ordinance of itself, therefore, has no potential for resulting in significant physical change in the environment, directly or ultimately. ATTACHMENTS: 1) March 6, 2011 City Council Staff Report, with attachments. 2) March 6, 2011 Draft City Council meeting minutes. 3) Resolution recommending that the City Council amend Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations) of the Zoning Ordinance to change the amount of time that Temporary Promotional Signs are allowed to be displayed. 4 of 4